Automatic stock-feeder.



W. M. HORNBECK.`

AUTOMATIC. STOCK FEEDER. o APP-LIGATIONIFILED JULY 1s, 191

Patented Dec. 15, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTUR- W. M'fHORNBECK.

AUTOMATIC STOCK FEEDER.

APPLIGATION FILED JULY'ls. 1910.

3 SHEETS-BHEET 2.

y l d WJTNEJSE F 5' .ww/WOR Patented Deo. 15, 1914.

W. M. HORNBEGK- l L UTOMATC-`STOK FEEDER.

` PLIOATION FILED JULY 1B, 191C 1,121,502. l Patented' Dec. 15, 1914.l

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

1L u u l? WILLIAM M. HonNBEcK, or ToPEnA, KANSAS.

AUTOMATIC STOCK-FEEDER.

Taal? luiwm' 'it may concern Be it known that I,

resident of the cityof Topeka, in the county of Shawnee and State of Kansas, have 1nvented anew and useful Improvement 1n Automatic Stock-Feeders, of whichv the fol-A lowing is a specification.4

This invention relates to 'new anduseful y improvements in automatic stock feedersA and comprises ag simple and eiiiclent 'appa- ,ratus of this nature having various detalls `of construction, combinations Aand arrangef ments of parts which will be. hereinafter fully described, shown-in the accompanying drawings and then specifically defined in the appended claim.

In the drawings accompanying and form.- ing part of `this specification, and in the description of the drawings, I have shown my invention in its preferred form', and have shown what I deem to be the best mode of applying the principles thereof, but it is to be understood that I contemplate changesin form, proportions, and materials, the transposition of parts, and the substitutlon of `equivalent members without departing from the spirit'of -my invention.

Figure 1 is a perspectiveview of an automatic stock feeder made in accordance with the principles of my invention, the

same being accessible by all sizes of stock.

Fig. 2 is a view of the same with the -removable and attachable fence applied thercto, and the. adjustable gate in place so as to give the smaller sizes of stock access to the Y main portion l(for instance, to the portion holdingthe'grain), Vand all sizes of stock access to the remaining portion (for instance, the portion holding the medicine).y

Fig. 3 is a top view -of the gate and adja- I l cent portions `o f the fence. Figs. 4 and 5 are sections giving the details of the brack- 1 ets for ,removably attachingthe fence onto the platform. Fig. 6 is asectional elevation ofthe bin and troughs andv the forcefeed vand 'regulating device." Fig. 7/ is inpart an elevation, certain' portions being removed or broken away, to show especially `the partitions, and the force feed. ig. 8 is a perspective view of 'my apparatus' with a largestorage bin applied thereto for hold# ing ja"large quantity of grain which is auto- I matically discharged into'the smaller bin as it is dischargedfrom the smaller bin throughV the force feed.

Specification of Letters Patent.

WILLIAM Ill-omv-v BECK, a citizen of the Unitedl States, anda Patented Dec. 15, 1914.A

Application led July 18, 1910. Serial No. 572,470.

Similar reference characters indicate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views.

The base of my apparatus comprises the two end-pieces 10, 10, between which are formed the two troughs 11, 11, bymeans.

of the outside strips 12, 12, and the two inside pieces 13, 13' which come up to a point along the middle line of the machine. Besides being properly nailed or screwed or bolted together in any suitable manner, the frame is held rigidly together by means of the tie-rod 53. Above this vbase with the two troughs is erected a bin or hopper-like reservoir 14, with a door 15 giving. access l thereto for discharging the grain 'thereinto.

It --is provided with substantially vertical sides 16, 16 which extend down toward the respective pieces Y 13, 13, but' leaving a wide gap,.so that the grain 17 in the bin is free to' run down into.I the troughs. Preferably,J

for practical purposes, I-partition 0H, one

end of the bin by a partition 18, using the'.

larger Acompartment. for grain and the smaller compartment for medicine or otherl. v wise treated food, and the troughs are cors'll Vrespo'ndingly partitioned, as indicated at'j19. i

.In order to regulate the flow of feed inte` the troughs, so vthat the same machine may be made applicable to various circumstance',s,v K

such as for different feeds, for different stock, and forf'diiferent atmospheres (las t0, humidity especially), I adjustably" secure to eachjside piece-an adjusting'door 20,`

which may be slipped up and down thereon,l .v so as to increase Vorl diminish the size of the opening through which Ithe grain is discharged; the door being securedin any position by means of the bolts and thumb-nuts 22 which engage in the slots 21 in the door. Inasmuch, however, as all or most all feed will pack or clog, especiallyin an opening which is not apt to discharge-too much feed into the troughs, I provide a force-feed, which vcomprises one or ,more irregularly shaped devlces 25, 25 pivoted tothe board 13 at 24 and having an operating lever I(26 extending down and terminating in thelbettom of the trough; and preferablyfjthefendsevfin the shape of a ring or is otl'ierwise'-suitable shaped or enlarged so as to be operable-S by the feeding animals nose. Each of these'fldevices is adapted to rock or oscillate on the' pivot, its movements being limited by the stop-` 1ns`27, The manner "of operating this cree-feed 1s as follows: When the feed- I to get that under o'radjacentto the .operating-animal has consumed *all the grainin the vtrough which is easily 'accessible -it will try A' ing; handle, and in so doing will push the handle from one iside to the other; and this rocking or moving of the force-feeding de# .f j grain is thus eliminated and at the samel vice in the "opening will force'more feedinto the trough or agitate it so-that it will `run down by force of gravity.l Naturally, however, the animal will not try to get the grain under the. handleuntil'the grain more easily accessible is'consumed, so the force-feed will naturally not be operated'until nearly allv the grain in the trough 'is eaten. The liabillty of,;.,overiiowing Ithe trough and wasting lthe .,ftiine'fan'ample supply 'for the hungry animal 'fis assured.

:is a platform on place my machine to keep it out of the dirt.

" The platform ispreferablel set on `runners I in the vways 38, 38, and is vertically adjust? 3l and hooks or'clevises 31', so that it may be easily drawn from place to place over the ground.4 Itis also preferably'provided at each end with a run-way 32 4hinged thereto 'so as to give the smaller stock, as pigs, free access to the feeding troughs. When draw ing the platform over-the ground the runways mayl be turnedupfor over on their' hinges and se'ciired in any suitable manner. ln order that' only stock of .a certain size may have access to thegram, while all stock -has access to the medicine i'n the. smaller' compartment, I lprovide a fence Vhaving the sides 33 and 34, andthe endfgate37. The side 33 'may be removablyl secured to the platform by means of the -brackets 34: and lag-screws 35, 35, and the side-piece 34'may vbe secured by means of the. straps 36l and screws 35, 35. The gate is slidable vertically able and'secured at any desiredy height above the platform by means of the hand-bolts 40, 4:0 which engage in holes. in the brackets 39,

39, respectively. And to hold theI fence and gate rigidly together, I insert atie-rod 41 from side to side. This fence and gate ar- `all times free access which I prefer 'to I and runners 62, and provided with-va spout 'i G3 which passes through the roof oflthef smaller bin.l- This spout may be telescoped.l upwardly .to remove it from'said hole so as to permit either'part of the apparatus to be pulled away. The-larger bin maybe provided with adoor 64 throughwhich it may be filled. Obviously, as Vthe grain in ther smaller binis discharged below the spout, grain from the upper bin will flow own through the spout into the smaller bin; and

. equally .obvious is it-that' by-'having-the lower end ofl thespout below the doory15,ithey grain' will notoverfiow the lowerbin.

Extending acrossithe trough lengthwise is a bar 50, and a series of straps 51, 51 span the trough from the bar to the outer edge of the trough to keep the stock out of the trough.

" 2'2 is a strapiron to protect the edge of the trough.

What I claim is v In combination, a frame having a hoppenI like', bin, a feeding4 trough under. the bin, and an opening from the bin into .them-ough, a larger storage bin vmounted on runners and supported thereon .above the first-named bin,

down into'therst-named bin.

.85, and a spout extending fromv theqlarger bin v A ln testimony "whereof, I. havehereunto. i

signed my name in the presence of witi'iesses.`

WILLIAM M. nommen.

.y Witnesses:

LAURA L. HoRNBnCml. J. M. STARK, 

